Americans Don't Want You to Win

Saukrates talked to CBC, and this is what they wrote:

Canadian rappers have learned that the last hurdle to breaking into hip hop’s major leagues, landing an American deal, is just one step: and a long leap shy of becoming a foreign priority. When it comes to the question of which artist to push next, America always finds a reason to back one of its own.

“You know what my boys in Brooklyn tell me? ‘Americans don’t want you to win,’” says Saukrates, the Toronto MC and producer who, along with long-time friend Kardinal Offishall, leads Can-hop’s latest crop of ace MCs. “And they don’t. A lot of the artists will suck up all the energy at their labels because they don’t want nobody to come and take their position, especially not a Canadian who can do it better than them. You gotta fight for your shine.”

And then there’s the other problem facing our homegrown rap heroes: Rick Mercer’s Talking to Americans is true. Too many U.S. labels assume this country is carpeted with ice rinks and igloos. Their urban artist-and-repertoire execs are known for signing hard-luck ghetto stories hand over fist – provided that the ghettos in question are located somewhere inside the United States.

Authenticity is the beating heart of hip-hop culture (even though most fans know that most MCs are fibbing), and Canadian artists typically find it close to impossible to export theirs to America. While the U.S. rap machine allows a middling rapper like the Game (Dre’s latest protégé, whose major-label debut just moved 587,000 U.S. copies in its first week of release) to tell and sell tall tales about thug life, it assumes that any Canuck talking tough must be lying – and is therefore useless.

Just another reason to be on the grind all the time!

Maestro Fresh-Wes Y'all

Maestro is the stage name of Wesley Williams (born 1968 in Toronto, Ontario), a Canadian hip hop artist and actor. His pioneering status and outstanding achievements have lead to him being referred to as the "Godfather of Canadian hip hop." Originally known as Maestro Fresh Wes his moniker was shortened to Maestro in the late 1990s.

In 1989 he became the first Canadian rapper to have a Top 40 hit, "Let Your Backbone Slide". As of 2007, "Let Your Backbone Slide" remains the best-selling Canadian hip hop single of all time, and the only ceritfied gold single in Canadian hip hop history. 18 years after its release, Maestro's debut album, Symphony in Effect (1989), remains the top selling Canadian hip hop album of all time; at 190,000 units sold, it is 10,000 shy of double platinum. On Maestro's song/video "Nothing at All" (Black Tie Affair, 1991), he acknowledges this feat, rapping:

"My first album, symphony in effect went platinum/ in Canada that made me the first Black one/ to achieve that goal, I even got offered a movie role. Hunh, I turned it down, I didn't wanna be no star portrayin' a n---a that dwelled behind bars..."

After the success of his second album, The Black Tie Affair 1991, Maestro's career faltered as he attempted to break into the United States market. However, he returned to the Canadian charts in 1998, with the hit singles "Stick to Your Vision" and "416/905 (TO Party Anthem)".

In 2005, Maestro covered Lawrence Gowan's song "A Criminal Mind"; Gowan appears in the video and his vocals are sampled on the track. Gowan also performed the song with Maestro at the Canadian Urban Music Awards in 2006.

In 2006 Maestro again made Canadian hip hop history when he and Rochester AKA Juice joined The Dope Poet Society on stage in Cannes, France. Together, they become the first Canadian hip hop acts ever to showcase at Midem, the world's largest and most influential annual music industry conference.

source: Wikipedia

Toronto Rap Project

This movie takes an inside look at the independent urban music scene in Toronto. The documentary is blended with elements of music video and journey's into diverse neighborhoods in Toronto during a year when guns, rap and crime were topics at the top of everybody's mind. While investigating the underground rap world, a critique of mainstream media also emerges.

With Toronto's surge in gun crime during 2005 some people have pointed the finger at rap music and the gansta culture it may inspire. Has the attention on gansta rap overshadowed the many positives of a complex hip hop culture? Does rap or media glamorization of violence play any part in influencing crime on the streets?

The Definition of Street Cred

The definition of "street cred":

1. your "coolness" factor
2. imaginary "points" you get when you do something cool

1. Oh snap, I just punched that guy in the face--*plus 1 street cred*
2. Oh snap, you just got punched in the face--*minus 1 street cred*

Also, see Street Cred...the racing game.

How to Dress Like a Rapper

So you want to be a rapper, but you don't look like one. Read this and people will soon see you as a hip-hop star....guaranteed son.

How to be a Thug - For Reals

This post is part of one from http://www.i-mockery.com/...pure jokes.

1. Rip off the sleeves on your ordinary shirt. Take one of the sleeves and thuggishly fashion it over your muh'fuckin' dome. That's some ill shit.

2. Make some crazy gang sign with your extra hand. You should always have one hand on your ballsac, which means you always have one extra hand. Unless you're drizninkin' some 40's, which is acceptable.

3. The cutoff sleeves look makes you ghetto fab. For realz homey. Don't be afraid to show off those pythons.

4. Wear lots of jewelry. It can be your moms shit. All the real gangsta's have something dipped in platinum dangling from their necklace. You can use anything as long as it's dipped in platinum. Like an egg beater. Or a platinum baby Jesus fetus on an anchor.

5. Because you're probably too soft to get real tattoos, draw some on your arms. It's a dead giveaway if you don't have any tattoos.

6. Your boxers should be protruding from your pants. If your boxers are not in sight, you are a thug poser. Tighty-whitey's are acceptable.

7. Your pants should be sagging right above your big thug dick. About two inches from your pube line should work okay. If you have your pants pulled up you are going to get your ass kicked.

8. Grab your balls.

9. Wear a shiney watch. At least one watch. One is the minimum. It is acceptable to wear up to three expensive watches on one arm. You can also mix and match gold with silver. Real thugs from the ghetto only sport the finest wiznatches.

10. Pull up a pant leg. We call this "claiming," and shit. This tells everyone, "Hey bitches! I'm a thug!"

Now you should know what the dilly is. Go out and represent. Get off the hizzy my nizzy. True. True.

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There are other accessorising options for the thug look. I recommend wrapping a piece of foil around a tooth (also known as a Toof) for that "Dirty South" thug look. And you can also color in some facial hair with a marker. It's never a bad idea to have a 40 ounce bottle of malt liquor, and sporting a clip-on cell phone is big pimpin', too.

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And now in closing, I will offer you this rap just in case someone challenges your thuggish ruggish-ness. You have to pretend like you're making it up, because thugs don't do pre-made raps. They only do freestyle. Try and get one of your homeys to beat box so you don't sound stupid.

"What the fiznuck diznuck?
Pull my 9-milli and I free it like Willy!
Pop a cap in you ear,
And one in your fake crystal chandelier.
You wanna'-be thug bitch,
I'll spank you with a switch.
I'll pull it off a tree and then I'll just say
WHASSA HIZZY MA' NIZZY?
Bling. Bling."